THE former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams has called for inquiries to be asked about “how we snap out of the hypnotic trance that permits billionaires to purchase people and communities”.
Lord Williams made the comments on Monday evening, after the Prime Minister got here under renewed pressure for appointing Lord Mandelson as US Ambassador, despite his links to Epstein.
Lord Williams told the Church Times: “What is most profoundly disturbing concerning the whole Epstein saga is the moral hypnosis created by extreme wealth. The fascination of power — not full-blooded coercive violence but a form of lazy emancipation from all routine constraints — draws the eyes away from the dehumanising processes that sustain it and the benefit with which individuals as much as things come to appear to be just one other luxury accessory to be bought (or just grabbed) and handed around.
“When we’ve got stopped weaponising the Epstein files to make use of for this or that political agenda, I hope to God we start asking about how we snap out of the hypnotic trance that permits billionaires to purchase people and communities — ‘beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men’ (Revelation18.13).”
It was reported on Monday that emails from the Epstein files, released by the US Department of Justice, appeared to point out Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor informing Epstein of reports of official visits and details of investment opportunities.
The anti-monarchy group Republic reported Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to the police for suspected misconduct in public office and breach of the Official Secrets Act. Thames Valley Police said that it was investigating whether there have been grounds to analyze the criticism, the BBC reported.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said on Monday evening: “While the particular claims in query are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to deal with, if we’re approached by Thames Valley Police we stand able to support them as you’d expect.”
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said on Monday that the Prince and Princess of Wales had been “deeply concerned” concerning the “the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”
